Liquid dispenser



March 20, 1951 A, L BQBRlCK 2,545,988

LIQUID DISPENSER Filed Oct. 10, `1947'A JNVENTOR.

len/wel. oaf/cx BY f n( I f 1 Jaffa/vz@ Patented Mar. 20, 1951 LIQUID DISPENSER Arthur L. Bobrick, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Bobrick Manufacturing Corporation, Los

Angeles, Calif.

Application October 10, 1947, Serial No. 779,177 1 claims. (o1. a2-341) This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of an improvedliquid vdispenser for liquids such as liquid soap, glycerine, hand lotion, etc., embodying a suitable container, a base for supporting the container and a novel dispensing mechanism carried by the base and having parts extended into the container so that when the dispenser is manually operated, a quantity of liquid soap or the like will be ejected for use upon each operation thereof.

l In more detail,- other objects include: the elimination of gaskets and washers which are usually employed to seal the mechanism against leakage of liquid; the employment of an encased flexible outlet tube which connects the operating plunger and an outlet valve and is bodily movable with said plunger in an ejecting operation; the provision of dual control valves submerged in the liquid and reversely operative for regulating the charging of the outlet tube ywith liquid and the discharge of the same for use under the influence of theoperat-ing plunger; the provision of a novel and effective container closure so arranged as to be unopenable except by special means and so attached to the dispenser as to prevent loss or detachment when opened; and various' other structural details affording pleasing appearance, convenient and expeditious assembly and disassembly and maintenance, economy in original cost and up-keep, durability and sturdiness, all of which will be hereinafter explained in detail. v

`I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the annexed drawing, subject, how-v ever, to modications, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the invention.

In said drawing: f Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the assembled container in position on a wall;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, to a larger scale, through the container shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section to an enlarged scale on the line"3-3 of Fig. 2;

' Fig. 4 is a fregmentary detail view in central vertical 'section through the pump chamber of Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of a refilling closthe dispenser showing the position of the valves during the outward movement of the operating plunger; l

, Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4 showing the position of the valves during the inward movement of the operating plunger;

f Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view to an enlarged scale showing a ball valve check provided at the footof the discharge tube;

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 3 8 of Fig. 7 showing the closure in the locked position;

Fig. 9 is a similar section to Fig. 8 but showing the closure in the unlocked position.

Generally, the dispenser of my invention includes a base B, a container C for holding a quantity of liquid and preferably detachably supported on Ybase B, a pump and control valve mechanism D adapted to be submerged in the liquid held in container C, an operating plunger telescopically mounted in base B, a tubular guide F and aflexible discharge tube G connecting the plunger with pump D. p

Base B is formed of metal or plastic and has a wall l adapted to abut and be secured to a suitable supporting surface as by means of screws (not shown) Ainserted inholes 2, so that the base will be held in extended horizontal position and at a right angle relative to its supporting surface. v

Base B has a circular neck 3 which is internally threaded to receive an externally threaded neck Il of container C` and thereby detachably support the container on the base, there `being an orice 5 in a bottom wall 5 of the base for affording access to the container when the same is mountedclosure is located immediately over opening 5V of the container so that the container may be readily iilledrwith liquid soap without detachment from the base.

The base is preferably formed of two mating sections B and B', of cast and stamped metal, re-

spectively, or of plastic and otherwise formed as may be best adapted for use. However, herein the base will be considered as an integral structure inasmuch as the specific form of base is not material to the invention.

Operating plunger E is slidably mounted in a bore Ill of a boss II extended from the base and carrying a bushing I2 which forms a guide andl bearing for the plunger. An outlet passage I3, Fig. 3, is formed in the plunger and is open at the inner end of the plunger and leads outwardly to a spout I4 through I'which the liquid soap is discharged for use. Plunger E has a longitudinal keyway I5 cut therein which is engaged by the inner end of a guide screw I6 for preventing rotation of the plunger in its bushing I2 while permitting longitudinal movement of the plunger n a dispensing operation. The keyway I5 is not cut through to the inward end of plunger E so that guide screw IE is also effective, when screwed in, to prevent the plunger from being withdrawn from boss Il. A finger piece I1 having a concave outer surface is formed integral with or suitably affixed to the outer end of the plunger, the concave outer surface of the finger piece usually serving to prevent displacement of the finger of an operator. Portion B of the base is securedl thereto by screw I2a engaging in a threaded-y The lower end of portion I9 of guide tube F .1.

is xed tothe cylindrical-housing 22A ofthe pumpand control valve mechanism D while the lower endof tube G is aixed to a hollowY piston 23 whichY is reciprocably mounted in housing 22. The housing 22 has an orice 24 at its bottom adapted at times to be closed by a ball foot valve V and when the valve is open to afford communication betweenthe interior of container C and the interior of housing 22 below piston 23.

A spring 25 is compressed between the bottom l) of piston 23 and the bottom 27 of housing 22 and serves to urge piston 23 and tube G upwardly and plunger E outwardly to normally non-dispensing position.

'Piston 23A has an oriiice 28- in its bottom adapted at times to be closed by a ball checkvalve V and when open toV permit liquid from the interior 254 to ow upwardly into a chamber 29A in the piston andl thence through the tube G to, throughfand from passage I3l of the plunger.

Thus; upon each inward thrustof plunger'E, tube G and piston 23vwill be thrust downwardly against the tension ofspring 26 and the liquid contentsof valve chamber 25, thereby closing valve V and opening valve V' so that liquid from chamber 25 will flow upwardly past Valve V intov and through tube G and thence through passage I3 and outwardly through spout I4 for use. When inward pressure on the plunger is relieved, spring 26l iseective for restoring the plunger, piston 23 and tube G to, normally inop.

Itmay be understood that the liquid leaking intotheV guide tube F will always be: at theL level of liquid in theY container C andA will never rise to a point where it may reach the rear of the plunger. Hence, there can be no occasion, for packing the plunger in its bearing I2 or leakage around the plunger. Space 2I between the guide tube and flexible discharge tube is in constant. communication with the interior of the container C by means of peripheral orices 3l) and-any airor liquid in casing F between the plunger and piston will be expelled through the orifices 30v into the container upon the outward thrusts of; the plunger.

A suitable gasket or washer may be held between the lip of the container and wall 6 of the base if desired or necessary.

Closure H may be attached to the dispenser as by means of a chain, wire or cord 32 of suitable length to permit the removal of the closure from closed position, but preventing complete detachment of the closure from the dispenser. To such end, the upper endof chain 32 may be xed to a portion of the closure and the lower en d thereof formed or provided with a ring or loop 33 extended around casing F or a suitable portionV of the base.

The dispensing mechanism is so arranged that the bottom ofvalve housing D is very close to the bottom of container C in order that the mechanism will be operative for dispensing the liquid when ata minimum level without impairing the eiiiciency of the dispenser when the liquid in the container isalmost exhausted.

It is desirable to arrange the connection between tube G and the piston 23 sov that. they may ber readily separated for cleaning. pur-poses. and this is provided for by forming an inside; taper flaring outwardly and upwardly, inpiston; 23 and surrounding the lower endv of tube4 G: with a piece of tightly stretched rubber or.4 syn-f thetic tube 34. When tube G is pushed into. piston 23, the piston will be held withl sufcient firmness to function satisfactorily while by. slacking back set screw.v I6', the plunger andiv attached tube G may be readily pulled through the guide tube and the finger piece unscrewed; after which the tube mayv be cleaned' bypassing: a wirev through the plunger and flexible, tube.- The piston is limited in its upward movement by lower end of the guide tube screwed into .houseing D and so cannot be: pulled out,v ofthe house. ing D.

Tubev G maybe re-engaged' with` pistonA 23: by.:V pushing the plunger in until spring l26 ist fully.; compressed, enabling the rubber' coverediendo the tube to be pushedV into rm engagementv with the tapered seat in piston. 23, after-which set screw I6 is` again. entered: in` the slot in the plunger, the spring thereafter aidingV in. retaing. ing thev piston onV the: end of tube GVv and:l the; plunger in extended position.

The closure H is particularly designed topreeI vent its removal by unauthorized persons, since a. keyv of the shape indicated in dottedlinesis: required to remove it.

The closure comprises a disc- 35' of metali orlv vplastic having a raised rib 351m which a pairsof spaced vertical-heles Slfareprovided passi'ngcom--y pieten? through the disc 35aV The aange formedc in the part B ofthe-base around'the-lllingopen-` ing is formed to provide a pair of diametrically spaced notches 33, the flange beingformed with inclinedl portions 39 extendingfrom the normal bottom line of the ange to shouldergfprming theside walls of the notches. A; strip of springy metalil is positioned in argroove 4Il across ,the bottom face or the closure, the ends 42 of,l the, strip projecting outwardly from the closure and being upwardly bent to pressl against the underL face of the flange when cover plate 43; isA putin place by a screw 44 passing through the center ofthe plate and a hole in the centerY of thespring and engaging inY a, tapped holein the disc- The inwardly projecting angle of the flangeis. cut away at diametricallyv spaced points 45j;

Whenplaing theclosurein position, the 4prb- J'iing endsothe.sprinastripare passed .through the cut away portions oftheiiange, The-,closure is then turned by means of the projecting ridge,

the ends of the spring strip riding down the inclined portions 39 until they snap into the notches 38 after which the closure cannot be removed until the prongs of the key are inserted in the holes to press the ends of the spring strips downwardly out of the notches enabling the closure to be turned to bring the ends into the cut away portion of the ange, enabling the closure to be 1ifted out. A length of ball chain or other flexible member is secured to the closure by passing the Wire to the end ball into a slot 47 before the plate 43 is put in place, the other end of the chain being hooked around the guide tube F, as indicated at 33.

The container C is preferably held in the base by means of a screw 48 projecting into engagement with an interrupted portion of the thread on the neck 3 of the container, thus the screw 48 has to be slacked back before the container C can be unscrewed.

I claim:

1. A liquid dispenser including: a liquid container: a base to which said container is secured and having a laterally projecting tubular portion; a tubular member extending from the tubular portion of the base toward the bottom of the container; a pump barrel connected to the lower end of said tubular member; a hollow piston mounted in said pump barrel; check valves mounted in said pump barrel and tubular piston; a tubular operating plunger secured in the laterally projecting tubular portion of the base for sliding movement therein, releasable means effective to limit the outward movement of the plunger; a flexible tube forming an extension of the plunger and push fitted at its lower end into the piston; and a spring arranged under tension between the bottom of the pump barrel and the piston therein, the arrangement being such that by releasing the means limiting outward movement of the plunger, the latter together with the exible tubular extension may be withdrawn from the dispenser for cleaning.

2. A liquid dispenser including: a liquid container; a base to which said container is secured and having a laterally projecting tubular portion; a tubular member extending from the tubular portion of the base toward the bottom of the container; a pump barrel connected to the lower end of said tubular member; a hollow piston mounted in said pump barrel; a delivery member having a tubular operating plunger mounted for sliding movement in the base and a flexible tube forming an extension of the plunger connected at its lower end to the piston; a check Valve in said pump barrel and a second check Valve mounted in said delivery member and opening in the same direction as said first Valve; and a spring arranged under tension between the bottom of the pump barrel and the piston therein; and means limiting the outward movement of the plunger from the base under the effort of the spring.

3. A liquid dispenser comprising a container, an operating plunger slidably mounted thereon, a tubular guide xed to said container and bent to provide a portion at one end in alinement with said plunger and having a relatively angular inner portion adapted to be submerged in the contents of the container, a metallic fiexible tubular extension secured to said plunger and conformable to and extended into said guide, a barrel ixed to the inner end of said guide, a piston fixed to the inner end of said tubular extension and slidable in said barrel, and Valve means within said barrel for affecting the discharge of liquid from the barrel through the piston and said flexible extension and said plunger upon each inward thrust of the plunger and for recharging the barrel upon a reverse thrust of the plunger preparatory to the succeeding operation.

4. A liquid dispenser as characterized in claim 3 in which said tubular guide is constantly in communication with the container between the piston and the plunger.

5. A liquid dispenser as characterized in claim 3 in which said tubular guide is constantly in communication with the container between the piston and the plunger, while the piston and flexible extension are only open to communication with the barrel upon an operating thrust of the plunger.

6. A liquid dispenser as characterized in claim 3 in which said tubular guide is constantly in communication with the container between the piston and the plunger, said barrel being open to communication with the container only upon a retractive thrust of the plunger.

7. In a liquid dispenser having a base, a container mounted thereon and a plunger for dispensing the contents of the container: a tubular guide having relatively right angularly disposed straight portions and an intermediate bent portion, one of said straight portions being alined with the plunger and secured to the base and the other straight portion adapted to be submerged in the contents of the container, a barrel secured to the submergible end of said guide, a exible tubular extension secured at an end to said plunger and extending into and conformable to the curvature of said guide and thence into said barrel, a piston secured to the inner end of said flexible extension and valve means borne by said piston and said barrel for admitting charges of liquid from the container into said barrel upon the upward thrust of said piston and for discharging the contents of the barrel through said piston, said flexible extension and said plunger upon each downward thrust of the piston.

ARTHUR L. BOBRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,118,977 Watrous Dec. 1, 1914 1,290,435 Watrous Jan. '7, 1919 1,362,077 Bobrick Dec. 14, 1920 1,396,469 Steele Nov. 8, 1921 2,395,840 Blankenship Mar. 5, 1946 

